People ask me every day if it’s okay to use AI to write a speech or presentation. The answer, like most communication itself, is not black and white, but rather, filled with nuance and dependent on context. Here are some of the most critical pros and cons to consider. Let's start with the pros:
Good structure
AI can help organize thoughts into a coherent structure using effective speechwriting models. This gives you a solid framework for your speech. Many people have a hard time organizing their thoughts into the right structure with the necessary arcs, but AI will do that automatically. This certainly doesn’t guarantee a great speech, but it’s a start.
It's clear
AI does a good job of providing key points that are easy to follow, and it meander or get lost in the details. Not to mention the fact that AI has very good grammar and syntax.
It gives you options
Because AI is so quick, you can input multiple prompts with slight variations. This gives you several results to choose from, or you can even mix and match.
These are some important cons to consider carefully.
Audience connection
AI doesn’t know how to relate to your audience like you do or how to tailor your speech to their mindset. You can describe the audience in your prompt, but AI won’t necessarily know their specific desires and concerns— It can’t get into their heads. And it is often oblivious to the cultural context or zeitgeist of the time. Without this understanding, a speech cannot inspire. Any good speech moves both hearts and minds and since AI cannot manage the nuance of human emotions, you will often need to personalize the entire speech and make sure it conveys your true intention.
It may be obvious
AI generated content can be detected. This can be done through AI content detectors or by someone simply inputting various prompts and comparing the results to your remarks. The last thing you want to do is attach your name to something important only for people to find out it was from Gemini or ChatGPT. That can damage your credibility well into the future. Remember audiences pride themselves on having good BS meters.
Faulty messaging
The strategy of the presentation may have flaws. In addition to composition mistakes (ex: redundant words and sentences), or inaccurate information, AI can omit key ideas or approaches, leaving gaping holes in the case you are building. So you’ll need to double-check the progression of the speech. Once you’ve done that, check it again.
In the final analysis remember that communication serves to connect people on the most human level. This can be aided by AI, but cannot be accomplished by AI alone (at least not yet). There is no technology to date that can replace the depth or subtle aspects of shared human experience.
So use artificial intelligence to brainstorm and get a jumpstart on your project. Then add the most important ingredient: human experience.
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